Door-operating mechanism



.J. POMBO.

DOOROPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1920. 1,383,851. Patented July 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

Arm/Mrs J. M. POMBO.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1920.

Patented July 5; 19.21.

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JESUS IVI. roMBo, on NEW ironi s, 1v. Y.

DOOR-OPERATING nner-lenient.

T0 r ZZ whom it may concern:

.ie it known that I, Jesus M. PoMno, a citizen of Colombia, South America, and a residentof the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I v

This invention relates to railroad-car equipments, and especially relates to door equipments. More particularly the invention relates to door-operating mechamsms or power means for opening and closing doors.

An object of the invention is to produce a new and improved power-operating door mechanism for railroad cars, coaches, street cars, and subway trains; and especially ,it is a purpose to produce new and improved door-operating means for use in connection with subway trains where it is essentially necessary to handle crowds with celerity in order to fill and empty subway coaches as fast as possible.

Another object is to provide a door operating mechanism which may be operated by one man, such as the motor-man or engine r, and thus eliminate the necessity of many guards as new employed on subway trains. The engineer-may control all the doors of all the coaches composing a subway train by providing suitable electric control means.

While I am aware that the present state of the art discloses a number ofpatented inventions related to power-operating doors for cars, it is a fact that the means of pres ent-day use reaches a stage of deterioration and inefliciency where it will not positively function with suflicient speed to enable the subway guards and train crew to govern a number of doors at one time for the reason that he necessarily spends considerable time in forcibly opening those doors, which do not properly function under the powerdriving means. I have in view the provision of a new and improved form of car door-operating mechanism such that one car operator, or guard, is well able to control all the doors of one coach, or all the doorsof any number of coaches, on either one side or the other.

One of the purposes of this lnventlon is to produce a door-operating mechanism hav ing combined therewith pneumatic buffersspecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 17, 1920. Serial No.

Patented a 5.1921.

and doors to eliminate the possibility of bumping unnecessarily highstrain and jar" being imparted to the electric motor or driving mechanism when the doors are driven closed or driven open. I

With the above 7 others in view, the invention has relation to a combination and arrangement of simplified car-door operating parts as presented in the appended claims defining this inventlon; and, one practical design and embodiment of which is presented in the following paper and portrayed in the accompanying drawings, wherein,'

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a railway coach, or subway train, havinga plurality of doors, andshowing the main position and location of the door-operating mechanism, said door-operating mechanism being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional View taken. on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, to disclose a door movably confined in its guides or track.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 to more particularly and in detail portray the electric driving mechanism employed to operate the doors. 1

Fig. iillustrates an enlarged view of one end of a railroad. coachequipped with the door-operating mechanism. In this view the coach is shown in section, and, likewise, parts of the operating mechanism are shown in section 'to show the driving mechanism, door-locking mechanism. and buffer means used to restrain the entire system to smooth and silent operation. I

A. door-operating mechanism for railroad coaches and subway trains'built in accordance with the plans of this invention embodies the ordinary type of door slidably confined in guides or tracks adapted to be opened'and closed. It is the usual practice to provide these doors on each side of the coach, and with this in view it is practical, in my plan,

principal objects and to employ one electric motor for each side of the car to handle the door on that side. is seen, therefore, that a railroad coach would practically be provided with two separate systems, each of which controls all the doors of its respective side. It is more feasible to employ electric motors for carrying out this purpose than other types of motive power since the current is conveniently available, as it is taken from the main line which drives the subway train. A number of the doors are positively joined together by a set of links and thus made to move in unison one with the other, or move in the same direction. ()ne or more of the other doors of the coach are equipped with gear rarks confined in guides, and a pinion is meshed with the gear racks to subject them to longi tudinal travel. The gear racks are fastened to the doors and subjected to movement under the influence of an electrically-driven motor. Adequate locking means is provided to hold the doors in fixed and locked position when they are closed.

In presenting a more detailed description of my invention, there is to be observed the attached drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein parts of the mechanism are pointed out by reference numerals.

There is shown a railroad coach 7 equipped with the door-operating mechanism constituting this invention; and doors 8, 9 and 10 are installed in the coach in guide channels or tracks 1.1 to confine the door in guided longitudinal motion. This door installation for sliding the doors open and closed is made in accordance with any well-recognized principle of car construction, since the invention more particularly relates to the means for operating the doors than it does to the particular door track or driving means.

Under the present plan, and in accordance with my invention, it is practical to join two of the doors 5) and 1) together in nxed relation so that they will move one with the other. To this end links 1-1 are employed at the top and bottom of the doors and con-' fined in guides 15 which hold the links, in alineinent. The ends of thelinks 1a are connected with the doors 9 and 10 in any approved manner. The doors 9 and 10 are confined in guides or tracks ll as aforestated, and it is seen that one door, when moved, will subject the other door to movement or travel.

It is desirable to employ bulfer means to restrain the joined doors 9 and 10 from erratic bumping or undue violent impingement when being closed. To this end a dashpot or pneumatic cylinderof any appropriate design may be used for restraining the door from violent and erratic closing movements. A dashpot or pneumatic plunger applied to one'of the doors 9 and i0 is sullicient since the two doors operate in unison or connected relation, and to restrain one door from violent closing will likewise restrain the other one. There is shown a dashpot comprising a pneumatic cylinder 16 fixed to the car, and having a plunger 17. A series of perforations are made in the cylinder. The perforations are preferably made in a row alined parallel with the axis of the cylinder and extending from one end to the other thereof. The holes increase in size from the small one adjacent the closed end of the cylinder to larger holes toward the open end thereof. This arrangement of perforations varying in size permits the air to escape very rapidly from the dashpot when the plunger first starts to travel in the cylinder, but the air is permitted to escape more slowly as the plunger moves forward and thus retards its motion. It is well to employ a dashpot at each end of the door, one below and the other above. The plungers 17 have pistons, as the usual practics, and each piston rod is secured to the door. In the present design I have chosen to show the dashpcts or buffers installed on the end door, rather than the central door; however, the exact position of the buffers or dashpots is not extremely important, but relates more particularly to the convenience of the design and construction of the operatin o mechanism.

2-1 I I n A. description will now be given of the other end door, and a development had of its relation with the two joined doors,'together with a power means for opening and closing the set of one, two, three or more doors employed in the system of a railroad coach. Dashpots 16 are likewise secured to the car above and below the door 8. and plungers 17 are bent around the guide or tracl' ii and secured to the edge of the door. The outer end of the plungers 17 are shaped as shown in the drawings and carried around the guide 11 retaining the doors in order that freedom of motion may be obtained between the plungers 17 and guides 11. As the doors open and close, the plungers with the attached pistons move back and forth in the cylinder. 1

A notch 19 is made in the track 11, and a lock arm 20 is pivoted on the door with the roller 'on the outer free end arranged to 10 ve upwardly into engagement within the notch 19. When in this position, the lock arm 20 acts as a positive prop and lock against the opening of the door. A link 2l is connected with the lock arm 20 and has a pin 22 slidaloly confined in a slot-made in a draw bar 23. The draw bar 23 is mounted on the door in relatively guided relation therewith and permitted to undergo lon 'i .linal motion when acted on. by associated operating parts. A spring and collar 21 on the link 21 keep it in upwardly limited position.

A'gear rack 25 is confined in a guide 26 and has a lug 27 slidably guided on rods 28, and'the rods are attached to the door. These rods have springs 29 confined thereon and nested on each side of a lug 27 which is made on the ear rack. Each rod 28 has a collar fixed thereto against which the springs 29 act. The gear rack has a movable connection with the draw bar 23 by employing a. slot and pin connection 30 which permits the draw rod to move relatively to the gear rack 25 when the rack is moving forward in the direction to close the doors. The springs 29 take up the shock of closing the door and permit the gear rack to move slightly on the drawrod, whereas on moving in'the other direction the slot and-pin connection do not permit relative motion but cause the rack 25 to di rectly pull the draw rod and open the door.

Likewise a gear rack 32 is connected to the door' 9 and confined in the guide 26. Each gear rack 25 and 32 is mounted in parallel spaced relation for the interposal of a pinion confined therebetween to subject 1 each to a longitudinal travel relatively with the coach to draw open and close the doors. It is now seen how a gear rack 32 is positively' connected with the doors 9 and 10 and adapted to move in one direction; while the gear rack 25 is connected with the other door, or doors, and is adapted to travel in a direction opposite to that of the firstmentioned set of doors. 1

An electric motor 34 is installed in the coach in any convenient position and is provided with any appropriate transmission means for impressing motion to the aforesaid gear racks in order to move the doors. In this instance a gear 35 is fixed on the motor shaft and meshes with a gear 36. The gear 36 carries a pinion-37 interposed betweenthe twogear racks 25 and 32 which drives the racks in'opposite relation. The electric motor, therefore, has control over the three doors installed in the side of the coach, or may have control over any number of doors employed in a car.

It is to be understood by those interested in and conversant with the art that suitable switches and electrical controlling connection is to be established between the motor and the front or back end of the car, or connected with the motor and a position adjacent where the guard or operator may stand, in order that he may close a circuit and start the motor for conveniently opening and closing the doors at will. It is, of course, necessary to provide a reversible motor in order that the machine function in the two directions required to open and close the doors. Anystandard type of electric reversible servo-motor may be employed to advantage in an installation of this character.

In the functioning of'the door operating mechanism; 'it' may be assumed that a the guard or operator standing at his station or in his c'ab will close the circuit, where upon the motor 3 l-i s set in operation, which transmits power through the gear train and subjects the gear rack 25 to a" rearward travel, thus drawing open the door .8.

Simultaneously with the aforedescribed function, the gear'rack 32'tra'vels forwardly drawing withitthe doors 9 and 10. Thus it is seenhow the motor positively and In the same man-.

quickly opens the doors. I ner the guard or operator closes a clrcuit whlch reverses the motor 34 and sub ects' the doors to a closing motion.

At the time the gear: rack 25 was impressed to travel rearwardly, the pin 22 fixed in the link 21-was impressed downwardly which drew the lock arm 20 from its engaged position in the notch l9 which unlocked the door 8 fromits fixed position with the track 11 "and thusipermitted it-.- to travel-rearwardly of the car. The gear rack25 draws.

on the door 8 through the rods 28 :by virtue of the yoke 27pulling on the collars fixedto the rods. '2 In this. manner no maximum opening strain is exerted through the. draw.

bar 23; but, on the other hand, the power necessary to open the door 8 is" exerted" through'the rods 28. "When the door 8 is moving rearwardly during its opening .op-.

eration, thelock arm 20 and roller vonthe end thereof are running in engagement with the track 11."

and the door 8 starts forward toward'closed position, the lockarm 20 will again .drop'in position within the notch '19 by virtue of the acting on'the pin 22 to push the link21'up- V .100. When the doors are reversed in operation,

wardly to force the lock arm 20 within the f notch 19. No great strain is exerted'throu'gh the draw bar 23 to effectuate the locked posi tion of the door, but, on the other hand, the

closing power necessary to move the door into normally locked position is exerted through the yoke 27 and nest of springs 29 confined on the rods 28. When the door is thrust into its finally closed position, the springs 29 yield slightly against the pressure exerted through the lug 27 and thus a resilient closing motion is impressed against the door. Should the motor 34 tend to drive the doors forward too fast, the springs 29 will take up the shock of the jar when the door reaches the end of its travel and stops. Likewise, the buffer 40 acts to prevent the door from slamming hard when it is opened.

The dashpot 16 employed on each end door of the coach likewise functions to resist unnecessary velocity of movement of the doors piston move forward under the closing impulse of the door. As the plungers near the rear end of the dashpot cylinder 16, less air escapes than when the door first starts to move. This arrangement permits the door to close very rapidly during the inception of motion, but acts to deaccelerate the motion of the door as it approaches the end of its travel. The dashpot 16, taken in connection with the lug and spring closing means, functions to restrain the car doors from being violently closed by an electric motor regardless of the power of same, and it is desirable to employ an electric motor of sufiicient power in order to open and close the doors very fast.

The system is comparatively safe inasmuch as the doors start in their closing movement under a high velocity but move comparatively slowly at the end of the travel. This prevents people from being caught in the door and allows them to move entirely free of the door without being injured.

Obviously, other door-safety means may be employed in connection with this invention without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention or without avoiding the principle of the invention bounded by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A door-operating mechanism comprising, a door of the sliding type confined in guide tracks, said guide tracks having a notch made therein, a lock arm pivoted on the door adapted to engage the notch of the guide track, a link depending from the lock arm, a draw bar related with the link to pushthe link up to engage the lock arm with the notch and to pull the link down to disengage the lock arm from the notch, and a gear rack connected with the draw bar to operate the link v and open the door.

guide tracks, said guide tracks having a notch made therein, a lock arm pivoted on the door adapted to engage the notch of the guide track, a link, depending from the lock arm, a draw bar related with the link to push the link up to engage the lock arm with the notch and to pull the link down to disengage the lock arm from the notch, a gear rackconnected with the draw bar to operate the link and open the door, and a cushion interposed between the gear rack and door to prevent the doors from violently closing.

3. A door-operating mechanism comprising, a door of the sliding type confined in guide tracks, said guide tracks having a notch made therein, a lock arm pivoted on the door adapted to engage the notch of the guide track, a link depending from the lock arm, a draw bar related with the link to push the link up to engage the lock arm with the notch and to pull the link down to disengage the lock arm from the notch, a gear rack connected with the draw bar to operate the link and open the door, and a nest of coil springs interposed between the door and the gear rack to prevent a violent closing of the door.

4.. A door-operating mechanism comprising, a door of the sliding type confined in guide tracks, said guide tracks havinga notch made therein, a lock arm pivoted on the door adapted to engage the notch of the guide track, a link depending from the lock arm, a draw bar related with the link to push the link up to engage the lock arm with the notch and to pull the link down to disengage the lock arm from the notch, a gear rack connected with the draw bar to operate the link and open the door, a lug made on the gear rack, guide rods related with the lug, and coil springs confined on the guide rods against thelug to provide a resilient closing means for the door.

Jesus M. POMBO. 

